"This was the song of the 1920's it was a dance, a song, an idea, and also for many in the 1920's a way of life. The song seems to move us to the days of speakeasy's and the wild ride that became the roaring 20's."

This is an admirably concise, poetic description of The Charleston, and should be non-controversial and open to a single interpretation among English-speaking people. In calling The Charleston "a dance, a song, an idea, a way of life," the author is obviously saying it was a phenomenon, a hallmark of the time, and a thing which is to the '20s what disco was to the '70s. A song, but bigger than "a song".

I agree. Thanks for uploading.

The odd thing is, for aficionados of music of the era, The Charleston usually winds up being a song seldom heard. Dardanella, Sugarfoot Stomp, Varsity Drag, Out-of-Town Gal, Little Mary Brown, Egyptian Ella, to name but a few, are more familiar to modern fans of the music of the jazz age. Not sure why this should be so, but that's how it happens sometimes.

The song (the one you hear here) is the reason that the dance blew up and got internationally popular, and ended up still being danced nearly 100 years later.

The song was written for the broadway musical "Runnin' Wild" in 1923.

don't hate.

Thanks so much for putting this here!!!

Oh that's great! This composition rocks, it has it all. The only complaint is the quality of sound. Of course, I wouldn't expect it to be high, it was recorded acoustically, but still... it sounds like it was recorded in 1915, not 1925. They could have restored it better. Maybe. Otherwise it's great.

This version of the Charleston was recorded acoustically, not elecrically, so the sound quality is not the same as what you would expect from your boombox stereo. Acoustic recordings are mechanical, meaning there are undulations created on the surface of the record and picked up through mechnical vibrations on a diapragm, then amplified by funneling through a conical horn. If this same recording was done with todays electrical equipment, I believe many people would find this version of the Charleston to be superior.

This sound recording is amazingly crisp for something that is 80 years old. It's a little 'old-timey' sounding but that is to be expected and of the times... This recording takes you right back to the roaring 20's and smoke filled speakeasies and the clothing of the time. A great trip to those days long gone. Great jewel of a find!

From Wikipedia: The Charleston is a dance, named for the city of Charleston, South Carolina. It was popular in the 1920s, and spawned Lindy Hop in the 1930s. Charleston is danced in 8-count: solo, with a partner, or in groups (usually facing lines).
The rhythm is a traditional one from West Africa; it was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States of America by a 1923 tune called The Charleston by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one of the most popular hits of the decade.

Spuzz: As near as I can tell "The Charleston" is the dance AND the music to it.

I'm not sure who or where they did this recording, but it's really not that great. There are better ones out there.

-uniQ

I say I'm confused because I wasn't aware that the Charleston was an actual song. Like I knew there was the dance and all, but is this the ACTUAL song? Like you know what I mean? There's not a song called 'The Waltz', so I'm not too sure. Anyways, this VERSION of the charleston is way charleston-y. Very mod and danceable for it's time.